Combination-lock



(No ModeL) -v G. L. BARNEY.

' COMBINATION LOOK.

No. 471,262. Patented Mar. 22, 1892.

UL/finesse:

NITED STATES GEORGE L. BARNEY, OF SEVVARD, NEBRASKA.

COMBINATION-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,262, dated March 22, 1892.

Application filed June 12, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. BARNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seward, in the county of Seward and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in permutation or combination locks, and while it is applicable to locks of various kinds it is designed more especially for such looks as are adapted to be applied to letter-boxes, drawers, desks, and similar articles.

It has for its object to improve the construction of such locks and render them less liable to be fraudulently opened or picked, and at the same time to furnish an exceedingly simple, cheap, and effective lock.

To these ends my invention consists in a lock having the features of construction and mode of operation substantially as hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein my invention is illustrated, Figure 1 is a plan view of the lock having a portion of the case removed to show the operation of the parts. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through one of the wheels or tumblers. Fig. 2 is a front view showing the details. Fig. 4 is a detail.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention applied to a permutation-lock having two tumblers or wheels with a single latch having two fingers or projections adapted to enter the slots or notches in the periphery of the disks or tumblers, and while this is the preferred form it is evident that my invention may be applied to other constructions and arrangements of locks.

Upon a suitable base-plate A, preferably having projecting bearings B, are mounted the studs 0 O, and forming hubs, on which the wheels or disks D D are mounted in any suitable way. In the drawings these disks or wheels are shown as loosely fitting the hubs, being held in place by a pin 0, passing through an elongated slot 0 in the end of the hub, and a screw 0 passing through the end of the hub, is arranged to cause it to clamp the wheel or disk tightly, so as to normally rotate with the hub. When it is desired to adjust the posi- Serial No. 396,026- (No model.)

tion of the wheel or disk on the hub, it can easily be done by loosening the screw and turning the wheel to the desired position, when it can be secured again by setting the screw.

On the face of the plate A the stud is formed into a convenient thumb knob or head E and carries a dial F, having suitable indicating-marks thereon, as is usual in this class of locks. In orderto secure easy operation of the stud and its attachments I preferably interpose between the dial and face-plate A a washer G. which may be in the form of a spring washer or otherwise,and servesto maintain the parts in their close operative posiion, but allows of their ready turning; also, mounted on the base-plate A is a. suitable plate H, which is shown in a practical T shape and as sliding on the base-plate, a knob H being connected thereto and extended through a slot in the base-plate to the front side and serving to operate the plate H. The extreme ends of the arms of the plate H are turned upward to form projections h, which are adapted to enter the slots in the disk D when they are in proper position to open the lock.

Rising from the top portion of the plate H is an extension H and this extension is provided with an opening I1 through which the latch L passes, a pin Z on the latch fitting into a recess J in the top of the extension and serving to connect the latch with the extension of the plate H. The rear portion of the latch L is in the form of a rounded stem L, sliding in a stud M, secured to the plate A, and this stud also serves as an additional guide to the plate H, the latter being slotted atits lower end to embrace the stud and to slide under the flanges m thereof. A spring N (shown in the drawings as a spiral spring) surrounds the stem of the latch and bears against the stud, tending to force the latch upward. From this construction it will be seen that when the plate 11 is moved by the knob H the latch is withdrawn and the'door or other device on which the lock is mounted can be opened. It will also be observed that the bolt or latch can also be moved independently of the plate H by the stud Z, which, preferably, projects through the inside portion of the case. This last feature is especially useful in postoffice boxes and such places where it is desirable at times to open the look from the inside to permit the removal of mail-matter.

Prior to my invention locks of this general character were known in which the plates or disks D had a plain or circular periphery, the notch cl being formed at some portion thereof for the reception of the projections h on the sliding plate H; but it was found that the lock could be readily opened by those skilled in the art, without a knowledge of the combination by turning the tumblers and pressing at the same time upon the plate, which would indicate the position of the notch d in the disk. In order to obviate this, the disks were made serrated and provided with a series of teeth around the periphery, which would prevent the turning of the disk when the plate was depressed to bear against it. This device failed to remedy the defects, as it was found that those skilled in the art could readily detect the position of the notches (Z and surreptitiously open the lock, and it is one of the essential objects of my invention to overcome these objections and provide means whereby it is impossible for unauthorized persons not knowing the combination from operating the look. In order to attain this object I form the disks or wheels with an irregular peripheral surface. Thus, as shown in the drawings, the disk D, which is circular in its general contour, has its surface flattened or cut away at certain points, as at d (1 &c. These cut away portions are preferably of different sizes, so that the cords of the circle are of different lengths, and in the cut-away portion having the longest cord, and consequently the shortest radius, I form the notch d for the reception of the portion h of the plate.

It is not necessary that the two disks D D should have exactly the same contour. In fact I find it preferable that their contour should vary to some extent; but it is essential that the notch (Z should be in the cutaway portion having the longest cord or what would be equivalent thereto. The edges of the notch are round or beveled.

\Vith this construction it is practically impossible to open the look without knowing the combination upon which it is set, as there are no means of indicating the position of the notches cl, for it will be seen that when the plate II is pressed downward by the knob H the projections h will bear upon the periphery of one of the disks D, and if the other disk be turned gentlyfor the purpose of determining the position of the notch (l therein there will be nothing by which its position can be indicated, as the projections h adjacent that wheel will not be caught by the sides of the notch d, so as to indicate by the feel or noise the relative position of the notch, as the periphery of the adjacent wheel will prevent the plate H sliding downward sufficient to allow the projection h to enter the notch in the least. If under these conditions either of the wheels is turned the projections will bear upon the periphery of the disk and one or the other will support the plate, so that the projections cannot enter either of the notches until both are in the exact position required by the particular combination.

\Vhile it will thus be seen that the lock is rendered more safe by the use of my peculiar form of disk,it will also be seen that they are very simple and cheap to manufacture and are not liable to get worn or otherwise out of order. It will be seen, also, that in the construction shown a single spring N operates to normally maintain the latch L and plate 11 in position, while it permits both to be retracted when the disks are set on the proper combination, or the latch can be retracted independently of the plate by the knob Z and the door or other device opened from the inside without operating the combination-lock.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a permutation-lock, the combination, with the slidinglatch-plate having projections entering the slots, of the slotted wheels or disks having an irregular periphery consisting of cords of different lengths, the slots being located in the irregular portion of the periphery having the longest cord, substantially as described.

2. In a permutation-lock having disks, the combination, with the base-plate and with the sliding plate carrying projections entering slots in the disks and provided with an upturned extension having an opening through which passes the spring-actuated latch, of a stud mounted on the base-plate forming a guide for the sliding plate, an independent latch sliding through an opening in the plate and through the stud, anda spring for moving both the plate and latch while permitting the latch to be moved independentlyof the plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE L. BARNEY.

Witnesses:

F. L. FREEMAN, .I. S. BARKER. 

